sexta-feira, 17 de julho de 2015

The Legend of the Great Stupa Jarungkhasor A Terma 1 The First Chapter of the Legend of the Great Stupa Jarungkhasor: Construction and Consecration of the Stupa. This is the history of Jarungkhasor, the Great Stupa, which isthe receptacle of the Body of Infinite Simplicity, which isidentical to the Mind of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of thethree times and the ten directions. In the year of the fire-male-monkey on the tenth day of the monkey month in the middle chamberof the of the Great Monastery Samyeling, which means theInconceivable, unchanging and spontaneously arisen, when theGreat Religious King Trisondetsen and twenty-five disciples ofthe Guru were assembled to receive initiation into the MostSecret Mind of the Lama [blama yang thugs kyi sgrubs], OrgyenRimpoche, the Precious Lotus Born Guru of Orgyen, was asked toremain seated on his throne of nine piled cushions. Then King Toffered his Guru a golden chalice of wine, various delicacies toeat gathered from all over the world, twenty-one turquoises drawnfrom the necklace which hung from his neck, five cups of gold,seven bowls of gold, eight clothes of fine silk and a vast storeof other riches. Prostrating before his Guru on thousand times, the kingaddressed him, "O Great Guru! I was born in Tibet, this barbariancountry of red-faced monkeys, and I invited the sage BodhisattvaShantrikashita from the country of Zahor and yourself, the Abbotof Orgyen, the Lotus Born Guru, to establish the Dharma in thiscountry. I have built the Great Monastery of Samye whereinresides the Triple Gem, the receptacle of the accumulated meritof all beings, incomparable throughout the southern world ofJambudvipa. I have achieved these things. Now, in this barbariancountry which is like an island of darkness, the Doctrine of theTriple Gem is diffusing like the early morning sun of themountain peaks and all people can here the explanation of theHoly Religion as they did in the Golden Age when MahakashyapaBuddha taught in the central land of Magadha. "When Mahakashyapa Buddha was preaching, the BenefactressJadzima, who begat four sons, built the Jarungkhasor Stupa in thedistrict of Maguta, in the Kingdom of Nepal. Great Guru! If youcould speak to us of the fruit of the aspiration generated by theconstructors of that first Great Stupa, then we, having builtthis Great Monastery of Samye, knowing how to pray, may becomefull of confidence and faith in the future. So that we may bedevoted, we entreat you to describe in detail the result ofbuilding that first Great Stupa of Jarungkhasor." Then the Great Guru spoke in reply, "O Great King, listencarefully and remember my words! I will relate to you the legendof Jarungkhasor. In a bygone age countless kalpas ago, theBodhisattva Mahasattva, the Lord Avalokitesvara, vowed at thefeet of his Guru, the Buddha Amitabha, to liberate all beingsfrom the misery of this world. Then having delivered innumerablebeings from sorrow he climbed to the top of the Potala Palacethinking that all beings without exception had been released. Butlooking over the six realms he saw many beings still languishingin the lower worlds like flies on a refuse heap. Thinking that itwas not possible to deliver all beings from the ocean of miserywhich is this world, he wept, and, wiping two teardrops from hiseyes with his forefinger, he prayed that even these two tearsmight assist beings of the future to overcome their sorrow. Infulfillment of that prayer those two teardrops were transmutedand incarnated as two daughters of Kink Indra who resided in theHeaven of the Thirty-three Gods. The daughters were named GoddessPurna (Complete) and Apurna (Incomplete). Apurna once stole someflowers and as a punishment for violating the law of the gods shewas reborn in the human world, in the country of Nepal in thedistrict of Maguta, to a poultryman, Ansu, and his wife, Purna.She was named the poultrywoman Shamvara [bdemchog]. When shematured she copulated with four different men all of low casteand bore a son by each of them: the first son was born of astablehand, the second of a swineherd, the third of a dog keeperand the fourth of a poultryman. "The poultrywoman Shamvara amassed sufficient wealth from herbusiness to rear her sons well and to establish them as educatedhouseholders. Later she accumulated much wealth from her profitsand then thought to herself, "My savings from the poultrybusiness have permitted me to establish my sons as respectablehouseholders. Now I have accumulated a further store of wealthand so that all men may benefit from it, I shall build a GreatStupa, a receptacle for the Mind of all the Buddhas, my ownprojected divinity. It shall be a plane of adoration forinnumerable beings and a reliquary for the indestructible remainsof the Tathagatas. But first I must ask the permission of theMaharaja." "Then having thought within herself in this manner sheapproached the Maharaja, prostrated herself before him,circumambulated him, knelt down before him, placed her palmstogether and appealed to him, "O Great King! I am a poor woman, apoultrywoman, and single-handedly I have raised four sons ofdifferent fathers with the profit of my business and establishedthem as householders. I crave your permission to build a GreatStupa which will be my projected divinity, which will be a planeof adoration for innumerable beings, which will be a receptacleof the Mind of all the Buddhas and which will be a reliquary forthe indestructible remains of the Tathagatas. It will beconstructed with the wealth that I have accumulated since my sonsbecame self-sufficient." "A great king never makes hasty decisions. The King composedhis mind for a moment and pondered within himself, "Thispoultrywoman is a poor woman who has saved sufficient wealth tobring up four illegitimate sons and now she wishes to build aGreat Stupa. This is wonderful and amazing." "Then he gave her permission to build the Stupa. Thepoultrywoman Shamvara was filled with contentment and joy andagain prostrating before the king circumambulated him many timesand returned home. Then the construction of the Great Stupa wasbegun by the woman, her four sons, an ass and an elephant. Earthwas brought to the site, foundations were laid and walls werebuilt up to the third level. It was at this time that the peopleof Nepal came together, feeling full of resentment towards thepoultrywoman who had shamed them by her superior achievement, andasked each other what sort of construction should be expected ofthe king, the minister, the wealthy and famous if a poorpoultrywoman could build such a Stupa. Considering themselvesinsulted and injured they went to the king with a petition toobstruct the work. They said to him, "O Great King! You haveblundered. If this poor poultrywoman can construct such a GreatStupa what should be expected of you the King, the ministers andthe wealthy men of the country. If you permit this constructionevery one of us will be humiliated. It would be better if theearth and stones were carried back to the quarry. It is notproper that she be permitted to build this Stupa." "The Great King replied to them, "Listen to me carefully! Thispoor poultrywoman has saved sufficient riches to bring up fourillegitimate sons and has accumulated sufficient wealth to buildthis Stupa. I consider this a marvelous achievement. I havealready given her my permission [kha sor] to proceed with thework [bya rung]. I, being a king, speak only once." "Other men also tried to obstruct the progress of theconstruction, but unsuccessfully. So the Great Stupa became knownas Jarungkhasor which means that once authority to build has beengiven every obstacle can be overcome. The work of constructioncontinued without interruption throughout summer and winter forfour years until the Stupa was completed up to the neck. "But at that time the poor poultrywoman, discovering that shewas dying, called her four sons and their servant to her andsaid, "Complete this Great Stupa which is my projected divinityand which is the plane of adoration for both mundane andsupramundane beings. Place the indestructible remains of theTathagatas within this Stupa and then consecrate it with greathonour and reverence. This is my wish and when it is fulfilledthe grand intentions of all the Buddhas of the past, present andfuture will be realized. And you my sons will also fulfill thepurpose of this life and the next by obeying my wishes." "With these words she passed away. Cymbals sounded and thegods sent a rain of flowers; many rainbow lights shone in the skyand the poor poultrywoman Shamvara, through her generosity inconstructing the Great Stupa, attained Buddhahood and was calledChamsi Lhamo Pramsha. The four sons remaining faithful to theirmother's wish, to repay her kindness to them and attain merit,agreed to complete the stupa and add the upper portions. So, asbefore, the sons loaded bricks upon the elephant and donkey andcontinued the work. They worked for three more years before theconstruction was completed; seven years in all. Theindestructible remains of the Tathagata Mahakashyapa (the Buddhaof the previous age) were sealed in the tree of life within thestupa. "The after sumptuous offerings had been arranged andconsecrating flowers strewn everywhere, the TathagataMahakashyapa surrounded by his attendant Bodhisattvas, appearedthroughout the fields of the sky in front of the Stupa. All theBuddhas and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions with innumerableArhats surrounding them, the five lineages of Tathagatas, theLords of the Three Worlds and the innumerable wrathful andpeaceful deities beyond conception like blooming buds of sesamumappeared there, scattering flowers, honouring the occasion withtheir most auspicious presence. Many cymbals sounded, the godssent a storm of flowers while sweet smelling incense wafted inevery direction. The earth itself shook three times. Theboundless light of divine wisdom diffusing from the Bodies of theassembled Tathagatas eclipsed the sun and irradiated the nightfor five consecutive days."SAMAYA GYA GYA GYA SEAL THE THREEFOLD BOND 2 The Second Chapter of the Legend of the Great Stupa Jarungkhasor: Fulfillment of Prayer According to the Bodhisattva's Vision. Again King Trisondetsen spoke to the Lotus Born Guru, "O GreatGuru! I entreat you to describe the prayers that were offered andthe aspiration that was formed before this most marvelous Stupacalled Jarungkhasor, and relate to us the story of thefulfillment of those prayers." The Great Guru replied, "Listen to me O Great King! Whenflowers were scattered at the consecration of the Stupa and whenfantastic miracles were performed and wonderful sights were seen,the vast assembly of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas addressed thebenefactors with one voice and said, "Listen O you most fortunateand well born! Through the pure mind which created the wish toconstruct this Great Stupa, the supreme receptacle of the Body ofInfinite Simplicity which is inseparable from the Mind of all theVictorious Ones of the past, present and future, through thisbenefaction, whatever prayer you offer will be granted inperfection." "Then the sons of the deceased poultrywoman said to eachother, "It was the enlightened vow of our old mother that led tothe construction of this Stupa, but following her deathbed wisheswe completed the edifice and consecrated it and were privilegedto see the countenance of all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Now,through that accumulated merit we may ask for the fulfillment ofany prayer; it would be unwise to pray for any petty thing." "The eldest son, the son of a stablehand, considered whatuniversal prayer he could offer, "In the icebound and barbarouskingdom to the north the mountains are snow covered and thevalleys are flooded; it is the haunt of waterbirds in summer andit is one vast icefield in winter. It has been prophesied thatthe floods will subside and that after the Bodhisattva, Lord ofthe Universe, Avalokitesvara has come to train the inhabitants inthe Lore of the Tathagata Sakyamuni, the Doctrine of the Buddhaswill be diffused throughout the land. It is my prayer that I mayestablish the Doctrine of the Buddhas in Tibet." "So he prayed accordingly, "Through the merit that I have wonin completing this Stupa with pure heart and aspiration may I beborn as a great king and protector of religion in the iceboundborder country of savages to the north. When the power of thefive poisons - hatred, lust, sloth, jealousy and pride -increases in the Kaliyuga, the time of destruction andcorruption, spreading the Lore of the Tathagata Sakyamuni, may Iestablish the Doctrine of the Buddhas there for all time." "The second son, the son of the swineherd, then offered hisprayer, "Through the merit that I have won in completing theGreat Stupa, when my brother has been reborn as a King andprotector in the icebound land of savages and when the PreciousDoctrine of the Buddha is being established and the necessityarises to introduce the community of the Sangha, the foundationof the Doctrine, into that country, may I be reborn as a Bhikshuwho will become a great Arhat to ordain converts as members ofthe Sangha." "Then the third son, the son of the dog keeper, offered thisprayer, "Through the merit that I have won in completing thisStupa, when my two brothers have established the Doctrine of theBuddhas in the icebound land of savages and when the peoplefollow the Doctrine of the Buddhas, may I be born not from awoman's womb but miraculously from the pollen bed of a lotus.Destroying the succession of life and death, may I live as longas the sun and moon. Subduing and training gods, demons and menalike and subjecting all the poisonous cannibal natives of thatbarbarous country, may I be reborn as a Tantric Yogin, a MantraDhara, to guard the Buddhas' Doctrine which my brothers willestablish." Then the youngest son, the son of the poultryman. offered thisprayer, "Through the merit that I have won in completing thisStupa, when you three have been reborn in the icebound land ofsavages, one to establish the Doctrine, one to keep it steadfastand one to guard it, may I be born as the minister who willcoordinate your activities." "After the four sons had offered their prayers, all theBuddhas and Bodhisattvas spoke to them with one voice,"O worthysons! Most fortunate beings! You have offered truly exalted andunselfish prayers. All the Buddhas are rejoicing with you. Themountain of merit that you have produced by this prayer isincomparable - even the Buddhas of the three times are unable tomatch it." "Then all the Buddhas of the ten directions and all theBodhisattvas dissolved in a single flash of light which vanishedinto the Great Stupa. Thereafter the Stupa became knownthroughout the world as the "Unity of Buddhas." "Just then a bloodsucking insect settled on the stablehand'sson's neck and stung him causing intolerable pain. This led himto brush off the insect with his hand, killing it. But withboundless compassion he prayed in this way, "When I am born as areligious king in the icebound land of the savages may thisinsect be reborn as a Prince practicing Dharma." "The ass that had carried building material to the stupaoverheard these prayers and thought that he too should offer aprayer, but lacking the capacity, nothing whatever arose as aprayer in his mind. Then he became angry and with his wrath arosebad thoughts, "When this stablehand's son is reborn as areligious king establishing the Dharma in the icebound land ofthe savages let me be reborn as a minister with a malicioustongue that will render whatever actions the king takesineffective." "The servant of the four sons, understanding the ass'sthoughts, offered this prayer, "When this ass is reborn as awicked minister who will obstruct the spread of the Dharma, letme be reborn as a wise and religious minister so that I mayovercome and repulse his deceitful machinations." "The elephant also wished to pray but found himself unable. Hebecame angry, "I have carried heavy loads of stone and earth forthe construction of the stupa but I receive no reward. When thesesons are reborn and have established the Doctrine in the iceboundland of savages let me be reborn as that king's great grandson tosuppress and to destroy the Doctrine." "A crow perched nearby, revolted by such a wish, created aperfect thought. It offered this prayer, "When this elephant isreborn as a persecutor of religion and when that king tries tosuppress the Buddhas' Doctrine let me be reborn as a GreatBodhisattva who will assassinate that evil king." "Two Brahmin youths wearing the yellow sacred thread,attendant upon the Stupa, offered this prayer, "When the PreciousDoctrine is established in the icebound land of savages let usboth be reborn as translators who will translate all of the HolyScriptures." "Also attending the ceremony of consecration were twointelligent girls of a royal family who prayed in this manner,"When the Buddhas' Doctrine will be established in the iceboundcountry of the savages, let us both be born with the superiorlearning that will enable us to write down and copy the SacredTexts of the Buddhas' Speech and the commentaries upon it." "In this way at this time innumerable prayers were offered tobenefit all beings and all these boundless prayers were granted.The eldest son, the stablehand's son who prayed for rebirth as aking, has been reborn as yourself, King and Protector ofReligion, Trisondetsen!The swineherd's son who prayed for rebirthas an Abbot has been reborn as the Abbot and BodhisattvaShantirakshita. The dog keeper's son who prayed to be reborn as aTantric Yogin has become myself, the Abbot of Orgyen, the LotusBorn Guru. The poultryman's son who prayed for rebirth as areligious minister is the present king of Yarlung. The bee forwhom rebirth as a prince had been supplicated is the presentprincess Padma Salso. The misguided ass which wished for rebirthas the iniquitous minister has been reborn as the evil MashangTromba [ma shang khrom pa]. The servant who prayed for rebirth asa religious minister to subdue the heretical faction has beenreborn as Pema Khungtsen [padma khung btsan]. The deludedelephant which had wished for rebirth as an irreligious king whowould suppress the Doctrine will be reborn as your great grandsonand his name will be The Ox-headed One [glang dar ma]. The crowthat prayed with compassion to be reborn as the assassin of thatwicked king has been reborn as the Prince Muruktsempo; in thefuture when the elephant's reincarnation will suppress theBuddhas' Doctrine, he will be reborn as the Bodhisattva LhalungPalgyidorje and he will kill the king. The two Brahmin youths whoprayed to be reborn as translators have been reborn as KabaPaltsek [ka pa dpal rtsegs] and Chokro Luigyaltsan [lchog ro kluirgyal mtsan]. The two princesses who prayed to be reborn asscribes have been reborn as Denma Tsemang [ldan ma rtse mang] andLegchin Nyima [legs byin nyi ma]." The Lotus Born Guru ceased speaking. The King Trisondetsen andthe whole assembly were amazed and credulous. They prostratedthemselves again and again before offering powerful prayers forthe Doctrine and for all sentient beings.SAMAYA GYA GYA GYA SEAL THE THREEFOLD BOND 3 The Third Chapter of the Legend of the Great Stupa Jarungkhasor: The Consequences of Offering Circumambulation and Prayer. When again the King Trisondetsen approached the Lotus BornGuru, "O Great Guru, tell us of the benefit and favor granted byprostrating before the Stupa, of circumambulation, of adorationand offering and service to the concentrated form of all theBuddhas of the past, present and future." The Great Guru replied, "Listen and give me your fullattention O Great King! After the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of thepast, present and future were absorbed in their reality into thereceptacle of Pure Mind forever, this Great Stupa could grant anysupplication and fulfill every aspiration immediately andeffortlessly for it became as the Wish Fulfilling Gem, the YesheyNorbu. The benefits and favours received by any living creaturewho with a pure heart prostrates himself before the Great Stupa,circumambulates it and adores it are inconceivable andincalculable beyond the expression of the Buddhas of the past,present and future, for these stones were laid in order to bringinconceivable joy to humanity. As this Great Stupa is thereceptacle of the Mind of the Buddhas of the past, present andfuture, so it is the plane of adoration of both mundane andsupramundane beings; to both men and gods, whatever supplicationis made and whatever prayer is offered, all wishes will begranted and even supreme realization and spiritual power may beobtained. "This Great Stupa, Jarungkhasor, the Precious Wish FulfillingGem, grants all manner of happiness. Whoever visits the GreatStupa and gazes upon it has the three doors of the lower realmsof hungry ghosts, animals and hellish spirits closed against himwhen his spirit wanders in the Bardo after death; whoever hearsthe vibration of the Great Stupa with his ears has the seed ofsupreme illumination planted within him; whoever visualizes thenature of the Great Stupa is freed from paranoia, megalomania andlethargy and is reborn into the stream of concentration; whoeverfolds his hands in reverence follows the Path of Reality. "Any self-seeking leader who makes a sacrifice to the GreatStupa becomes a Monarch of the Universe. Whoever circumambulatesthe Great Stupa attains the seven qualities of divine happiness:noble birth, fine form, great pleasure, virtue and understanding,power and prosperity, freedom from disease and extreme longevity.Whoever offers prayer finds immediate fulfillment of his wishesfor both himself and others. Whoever offers gifts to the Priestsof the Stupa is reborn free from thirst and sickness. Whoeveroffers flowers to the Great Stupa obtains ease and contentment,prosperity and health; whoever offers incense achieves pureaction; whoever offers lamps has the darkness of unknowingilluminated; whoever offers perfume is freed from anxiety andsuffering; whoever offers sacrificial food lives a life ofconcentration free from hunger[.] "Whoever offers music to the Great Stupa spreads the Vibrationof Dharma throughout the ten directions; whoever offers the soundof cymbals obtains deep and strong understanding and prosperity;whoever offers the sound of tinkling bells obtains a gentle andsweet voice - the sacred tones of Brahma. "Whoever offers a Mandala to the Great Stupa attains perfectvirtue and understanding as fruit of social interaction andmeditation practice. Whoever offers a Mandala of the fiveprecious stones - gold, silver, turquoise, coral and pearl - isfreed from poverty and misfortune and becomes master of theinexhaustible ethereal treasury; whoever offers a Mandala of theseven precious things enjoys the riches of the kingdom in histemporal existence and acquires the Divine Body with the sevenlimbs of adoration in the realm of sublimity; whoever offers aMandala of the seven spices of life is freed from diseases ofbody, emotion, impulse and consciousness, from fatal diseases andall sickness; whoever offers a Mandala of the five essentials ofexistence is released from the suffering of pride, envy, hatred,lust and lethargy and attains the Buddha Body of the FiveTransmuted Lineages of Amitabha, Amoghasiddhi, Vajrasattva,Ratnasambhava and Vairochana; whoever offers a Mandala of thefive grains reaps a rich harvest from the seeds sown. "Whoever offers the five kinds of incense to the Great Stupabecomes attractive and loved by all; whoever offers the fivekinds of perfume obtains a clean house untroubled by unpleasantodours; whoever offers the five divine gifts accumulates merit,and his power, glory, pleasure and worldly goods increase;whoever offers the Celestial Parasol and Victory Banner has thetension of passion alleviated and becomes worthy of honour andreverence; whoever offers embroidered hangings [hphran pa] or aDivine Ensign [ba dan] obtains happiness, wealth and abundance,and is freed from fear of fire, water, lions, elephants,retribution, snakes, temptresses and thugs; whoever offers arosary or crown attains the ecstasy of men and gods and isbejeweled with the seven precious things; whoever offers mustardoil is freed from the veil of lethargy; whoever offers a butterlamp irradiates the ten directions with the light of Dharma. "Whoever offers the Precious Wheel to the Great Stupa turnsthe Wheel of Dharma; whoever offers the Precious Jewel receiveshis heart's desires falling like rain; whoever offers thePrecious Queen is reborn in the stream of understanding; whoeveroffers the Precious Minister becomes a spiritual leader, skilledin method and manipulation; whoever offers the Precious Elephanthas understanding of the highest meaning of the Mahayana; whoeveroffers the Precious Horse acquires confidence, energy,imagination, and discernment of the Four Feet of MagicalTransformation - confidence, energy, intelligence andapplication; whoever offers the Precious General conquers alladversaries; whoever offers the Seven Precious Regal Giftsattains mastery of the Great Kingdom of Dharma; whoever offersthese Eight Magical Symbols is well omened and enjoys thepleasure and wealth of gods and men. "Whoever offers robes for the Image of Priest of the GreatStupa enjoys fine sensuous clothes; whoever gives a coat ofwhitewash to the Stupa acquires a fair and lustrous complexion,happiness, prosperity and health, attaining predominance overmen, gods and demons. Whoever offers curd, milk and butter willpossess the Ever Provident Cow and a herd of cattle; whoeveroffers molasses, honey and sugar receives celestial food; whoeveroffers fruit juice enjoys many delectable delicacies; whoeveroffers food for the sacrament obtains supreme realization andspiritual powers, and all potential arising in the mind willbecome actual; whoever offers water perfumed with the five scentshas his darkness illuminated and is reborn with nobility andattractive purity. "Whoever offers the Supreme Lotus Seat is miraculously reborn,gentle and beautiful on the pollen bed of a lotus flower, toobtain the Lion Throne of Fearlessness; whoever performs priestlyduties is saved from the suffering of Hell, the realm of torturedspirits and the animal kingdom, and obtains health, wealth andvirtue; whoever performs ordered ritual adoring all the Buddhasattains the power of Buddha Action; whoever cleans dust and dirtfrom the Great Stupa attains a beautiful body and finecomplexion; whoever repairs of restores the Great Stupa has theseed and root of unknowing eradicated. Whoever seeks unity withBuddha Mind, dissolving his ego in the Emptiness of the GreatStupa, attains awareness of the Great Symbol - Mahamudra - withthe Vidhyadharas; whoever becomes a Lama or Exemplar enters thearena of creative spontaneity; whoever makes offerings to theGreat Stupa is reborn to power. "Whoever restores the Great Stupa accomplishes the four formsof Buddha Activity, attains every aim conceived and receives thehighest understanding; whoever makes bricks becomes Monarch ofthe Universe, Lord of every speck of dust; whoever carries earthand stones has the dangers to life eliminated and obstacles inliving removed - receiving lifelong health and beauty; whoeverstrives to purify body, speech and mind, the three doors ofillumination, is blessed by all the Buddhas' Trikaya; whoevermakes virtuous friends follows the Dharma Path of the tenvirtues, and never being without kindly exemplars, he receiveswhatever power is required in every situation; whoever supervisesthe work of restoration is reborn a leader of the Bodhisattvas ofthe ten directions performing only Buddha Service; whoeverperseveres at his craft will master medicine, dialectics, musicand metaphysics in all future existences; whoever makes the sevenritual paces toward the Great Stupa when unable to make apilgrimage attains the pure human vessel after seven reawakeningsand recalls his past lives; whoever gives profitable adviceacquires the talents of knowledge; whoever gives instruction hasevery word he utters in this and future existences heard andunderstood by all living beings; whoever fills a hole or seals acrack in the fabric of the Great Stupa is reborn as a man or godable to realize the sacred vision. Whoever lives by the Great Stupa in prayer masters the secretsof immortality and discovers the source of life; whoever remainspermanently by the Stupa reciting the scriptures never suffersfrom the privations of famine or invasion and if a king remainsthere his kingdom will be peaceful and his subjects content;whoever utters Mantra in others' hearing and demonstrates theBodhisattvas' qualities attains all the virtues of Buddhas andBodhisattvas; whoever listens and then explains the meaning ofthe Dharma acts as the Buddhas of the past, present and future;whoever creates a line drawing or model of this Great Stupa maytravel to the Pure Land of any Buddha and remain until becomingindissoluble with Pure Mind; whoever writes the legend of thisGreat Stupa or writes the biography of a Bodhisattva receives thesame reward as the writers of the entire Buddhist Canon; whoeverrejoices in the ecstasy of existence is reborn at the source ofBuddha Quality; whoever asks the wave of bliss from the GreatStupa receives empowerment from all the Buddhas of the tendirections; if any being, by chance, visualizes this Great Stupahe is miraculously reborn in the essence of a lotus flower in theWestern Buddhafield of Sukhavati, the Pure Land of Bliss. "Any human being who maliciously damages this Great Stupasuffers in countless ways in this existence and successive lives;he shall suffer the excruciating agony of the Avici Hell, withoutpossibility of escape of means of expiation. "This Great Stupa is like a Precious Wish Fulfilling Gem:whatever supplication is made by any living being for the supremepower of understanding or any relative understanding or authoritywill be granted - every prayer will be fulfilled. This miraculousStupa is called Montam Tamched Drupa - the Fulfiller of AllPrayers." After the Lotus Born Guru had spoken, King Trisondetsen andhis attendants were struck with wonder and, inspired to apinnacle of faith, wept in joy. Throwing their bodies on theground and prostrating before the Guru a thousand times, theyoffered this prayer, "EH MA HO!! The miraculous nature of thisStupa cannot be described by Buddha, it is inconceivable! It isineffable! Hereafter through every existence let us be rebornfavoured by the Great Stupa, offering everything under the skyand the sky itself."SAMAYA GYA GYA GYA SEAL THE THREEFOLD BOND 4 The Fourth Chapter of the Legend of the Great Stupa Jarungkhasor: The Portents of the Ruin of the Great Stupa in the Middle of the Kaliyuga.Again King Trisondetsen spoke to the Lotus Born Guru, "O GreatGuru, in the Kaliyuga, the age of decadence and corruption, whenthe Voice of Buddha is a mere echo, will this Great Stupa, thisWish Fulfilling Gem, be destroyed or damaged? Will it decay? Andif it is neglected or damaged what will be the portent of itsruin? What vice will corrupt this area of the transitory world?When the signs and omens are seen, what must be done?" Guru Rimpoche replied, "Listen O Great King! The realperfection of this Great Stupa is indestructible, inviolate andincorruptible: it is inseparable from the Body of InfiniteSimplicity of all the Buddhas. But the phenomenal structure ofthe Great Stupa is perishable, a transitory form in a changingworld and it may be partially damaged by the four elements. Thedamage will be repaired by the incarnations of the Lords of theThree Families - Manjusri, Avalokitesvara, and Vajrapani _ andthe Wrathful Bhrikutis and Tara Devi. "As the Kaliyuga progresses towards the final conflagration,life expectancy of man decreases and the weight of darknessbecomes more intense, but there remain restraints on the downwardpath when the Voice of Buddha is heard and the Path of Dharmafollowed. Towards the end of the era, when the duration of man'slifespan has been reduced from sixty to fifty years and there hasbeen no respite in man's increasing egoism, these conditions willprevail, portending ruin to the Great Stupa: householders fillthe monasteries and there is fighting before the alter; thetemples are used as slaughterhouses; the ascetics of the cavesreturn to the cultivated valleys and the Yogins become traders;thieves own the wealth and cattle; monks become householderswhile priests and spiritual leaders turn to robbery, brigandage,and thievery. Disorder becomes chaos, turning to panic whichrages like wildfire. Corrupt and selfish men become leaders whileabbots turned army officers lead their monks as soldiers; nunsbut their own bastards to death. Sons see their estates andinheritances stolen from them. Mean and vulgar demagogues becomelocal leaders while young girls instruct the young in schools.The belch of the Bon Magician resounds in the Yogin's hermitageand the wealth of the sanctuaries is looted; the scriptures ofthe Tathagatas, the images of the Buddhas, the sacred icons, thescroll paintings and the stupas will be desecrated, stolen andbartered at the market price - their true worth forgotten; thetemples become cowsheds and stables covered with dung. "When religious duties are forgotten, spirits of darkness,which had been controlled by ritual power, become unloosed andfrenzied and govern the mind of whatever being they possess.Spirits of vindicative power possess monks; spirits of egoisticwickedness possess the Mantradhara or magician; spirits ofdisease possess the Bon Priest; enchanting spirits causingdisease possess men; grasping, quarreling spirits possess women;spirits of wantonness possess maidens; spirits of depravitypossess nuns; spirits of rebellion and malice possess children;every man, woman and child in the country becomes possessed byuncontrollable forces of darkness. The signs of these times arenew and fantastical modes of dressing - traditional styles areforgotten; the monks wear fancy robes and the nuns dress upbefore a mirror. Every man must carry a sword to protect himselfand each man guard his food from poison. The Abbot and Masterpoison their pupil's minds and hearts; the executive andlegislature disagree; men become lewd and licentious; womenbecome unchaste; monks ignore their discipline and moral code;the Mantradharas break their covenant. "As the frenzy of malicious, selfish, vindictive and ruthlessspirits grows, paranoid rumor increases and ornament and clothingfashions change more frequently. "Drunkards preach the Path to Salvation; the advice ofsycophants is followed; fraudulent teachers give falseinitiations; guileful impostors claim psychic powers; loquacityand eloquence pass as wisdom. The arrogant elevate profanity; theproletariat rules the kingdom; kings become paupers; the butcherand murderer become leaders of men; unscrupulous self-seekersrise to high position. The Masters of the High Tantras stray likedogs in the streets and their faithless errant students roam likelions in the jungle. Embodiments of malice and selfishness becomerevered teachers, while the achievements of Tantric Adepts becomereviled, the guidance of the Secret Guru execrated, the preceptsof the Buddha ignored and the advice of Yogis and Sages unsought.Robes become worn by fools and villains while monks wear foreigndress; even murderers wear the sacred robe. Men resort tomaledictory enchantment learning Mantra for selfish ends; monksprepare poisonous potions for blackmail, extortion and profit.False doctrines are devised from the Buddhas' Word and theteachers' interpretations become self-vindications. Manytreacherous paths, previously uncharted, are followed; manyiniquitous practices spread; behavior becomes tolerated which waspreviously anathema; ideals are established contrary totradition; and all good customs and habits are rejected and manydespicable innovations corrupt. The wealth of the monasteries isplundered and spent upon gluttony by those under vow; followingerrant paths, men become trapped by their own mean actions; theavaricious and spurious protectors of the pure teaching no longerfulfill their functions. "The celestial order, disrupted, loosens plague, famine andwar to terrorize terrestrial life. The planets run wild, and thestars fall out of their constellations; great burning stars arisebringing unprecedented disaster. No rain falls in season, but outof season; the valleys are flooded. Famine, frost and hail governmany unproductive years. The rapacious female demons [ma mo] andthe twelve guardian protectresses of the Dharma, unpropitiatedand enraged release diseases, horrible epidemics and plagueswhich spread like wildfire, striking men and cattle. Earthquakesbring sudden floods while fire, storms and tornadoes destroytemples, stupas and cities in an instant. At this time the GreatStupa itself falls in ruins. During this pall of darkness theWheel of Dharma at Vajrasana [Bodh Gaya] does not function; Indiais stricken with famine; the Kathmandu Valley is inflicted withplague; earthquakes decimate the people of Upper Ngari in WesternTibet; plague destroys the people of Central Tibet; the KyiValley District of Lhasa subsides; the peaks of the HighHimalayas in the borderland on Mon fall into the valleys. Threestrong forts are built on the Five Peaked Mountain; Yogisassemble in the Valley of the Bear's Lair on Mon; two suns risein Kham to the east; the Chinese Emperor dies suddenly; fourarmies descend on Central Tibet from the borders; the MuslimTurks conquer India; the Garlok army suppresses the Dharma inKashmir; the Mongols conquer Tibet; the Jang army enters Kham;the Protectors' Temple, Rasa Trulnang [Ra sa hphrul snang] inLhasa is threatened; the famous temple of Samye is desecrated;the stupas of Bhutan tilt and the Wheel of Dharma malfunctions. "The great monasteries of the of the country become desertedand the Belch of the Bon Priest resounds in the quiet hermitages;the wise and simple leaders of the monasteries have been poisonedso that the lineal explanations and practices are fragmented orlost; the holders of the lineal traditions meet sudden death.Impostors and frauds cheat the people and black spectres hauntthe land. The knot in the silken thread binding demonic forces indivine bondage is untied and the cord of faith keeping the humanmind harmonious is severed. The kings law is broken and thestrength of communal unity lost; the peoples' traditions arerejected and the sea of contentment dries up; personal moralityis forgotten and the cloak of modesty thrown away. Virtue ispowerless and humiliated and led away by coarse, immodest andfearful rulers. Abbots, teachers and professors become armyofficers while the ignorant guide religious aspirants, explainthe doctrine and give initiation. Aspirants speak with self-defensive abuse while butchers and wild elephants lead men. Thepasses, valleys and narrow paths are terrorized by shamelessbrigands; fearful, lawless and leaderless, the people fightamongst themselves, each man working selfishly. Tibet becomescorrupt and defiled. These are the conditions prevailing duringthe middle of the Kaliyuga when the duration of man's life isfifty years: these are the portents of the destruction of theGreat Stupa. "These signs and sufferings will awaken the mind of a man, anddisgusted with the human condition, favoured in his actions andgoverned by sympathy and compassion towards the sufferers, hewill dedicate himself to the restoration of the Great Stupa. Hewill aspire to the highest human achievement and fulfill his wishto rebuild perfection." After Guru Rimpoche had spoken, Trisondetsen and hisattendants were stunned and disheartened. Then recovering hissenses, Pema Khungtsen, the spiritual leader of Gos, arose andprostrated himself one hundred times before Guru Rimpoche andthen addressed him, "O Great Guru! Let me be reborn to restorethe Great Stupa when it is in ruins during the decadence andcorruption of the Kaliyuga, when man's life is short!" Guru Rimpoche granted this prayer. King Trisondetsen asked tobe reborn as an assistant to restore the Great Stupa and hisattendants prayed that they too should be born to assist in therestoration.SAMYA GYA GYA GAY SEAL THE THREEFOLD BOND 5 The Fifth Chapter of the Legend of the Great Stupa Jarungkhasor: The Restorers and Their Attainments.Again King Trisondetsen spoke to the Lotus Born Guru, "O GreatGuru! When life is short during the destruction and corruption ofthe Kaliyuga and the damaged Stupa must be restored - as you haveforetold - where will the reincarnate Pema Khungtsen, theRimpoche of Gos, be born? What will be his name? How will we knowhim? And how many friends and desciples will be around him? Whatcontentment and ability will the restoration of the Great Stupabring to that circle? The Great Guru replied, "Listen well O Great King! Yourquestions are most pertinent. At the end of the era ofdegeneration, when the duration of man's life has shrunk to fiftyyears, there will be one hundred and one inauspicious omens. Atthe height of this darkness Pema Khungtsen, the Rimpoche of Gos,will be reincarnated due to the power of his resolution to attainBuddhahood. He will be born in the year of the Hog in thehighlands of the Province of Tsang to a family of Tantrikas adeptin the arts of magical transformation, and he will be calledPellan Zangpo. He possess strong mental powers and a clear visionof the course his life must take. As a result of discretion andclarity of perception in the lives since his resolution wasformed, he is born with confidence that the Triple Gem signifiesEternal Bliss, with respect for the function of the temple, andwith devotion towards the inner sanctity of form, sound andthought. Belonging to the Mahayana Family, he possessescompassion for human beings and living creatures and hisgenerosity in giving, speaking and thinking is unlimited. Withthe blissful knowledge of the Emptiness of the profound nature ofall things, he masters violent Buddha Action and the ferociousexpression of the wrathful protectors. He completes the practicesof visualization and recitation, when his union with his ownsource of power is consummate and the Guardian Protectors of theInner Sanctum are obedient and bound in service. He is born as achild, with concentrated devotion to Orgyen Rimpoche himself. "If the vow of this Great Being remains unbroken andunimpaired, then, in his twenty-fifth year, the Stupa isrestored. If the work is postponed but begun before his thirty-third year, then it is completed. But if the work is delayedbeyond this, war will burst like a hurricane over Tibet and Chinaand the inhumanity of that calamity will triple the weight ofdarkness, and famine and disease will usher all living beingsinto an abominable hell. From the northeast highland border ofChina an army whose number will equal five measures of whitemustard seed will invade Tibet and the clamour of terror willresound like thunder for many years. Through the southernlowlands an army whose number will equals nine measures of whitemustard seed will invade Tibet and the voice of fear will resoundlike a flying dragon. The armies will dart from valley to valleylike incinerating lightening and then invade and conquer WesternTibet. The highland forces will invade China, plundering tovictory. One-half of the Tibetan people will be slain while thetemples are devastated, the images desecrated, the sacredscriptures trampled in the dust and the monks and the priestsmurdered. The ruined villages will become desolate, for thesurvivors of this holocaust will escape to Sikkim, Bhutan, Nepaland India as refugees and to the Secret Valleys of the Himalayas.Those who remain, tied by avarice to land and wealth, will bemassacred with their cattle by the barbarian iconoclasts. "Desiring release from this suffering, the Great Being withthe power of my bliss, with compassionate sympathy to all livingbeings, free from self-interest in his own body, life andsatisfaction, restores vigour through divine anger, giving thepeople of the border countries and the refugees the guidance andstrength they require. When the voice of virtue of the exiles hasbeen united, the friends of the Great Being begin their combinedendeavour to restore the Great Stupa. But the morbid powers ofdarkness have inveigled all men into vice and there are few mento put confidence and devotion in the Great Being - as few men asthere are stars in the daytime. Nevertheless the Great Being isattended by one hundred and thirty-thousand devotees of virtuousaction, one thousand and six masters of deep prayer, eighty-eightYogins adept in maintaining the discipline demanded by the innervoice of integrity, eighty liberal and unstinting Patrons,twenty-three Seers, eight incarnate Instructors in the secrets ofthe eight Bodhisattvas, twenty-five devoted Spiritual Sons, fiveincarnations of the Dakinis, seven blessed by the Dakinis andtwenty-five maidens of high birth and good family. Communing withthem, he removes the defiling veils from their minds and clearsall obstacles from their paths. Then encountering my SpiritualSon, an incarnation of my boundless understanding, an incarnationof the Abbot Shantirakshita, Master od Discipline, and anincarnation of yourself Trisondetsen, Dharmaraja, Minister to allcorporeal needs, he receives their empowering touch of bliss, andfully restores the Great Stupa. "If the Great Stupa is restored according to this prophecy,content and prosperous men of the entire southern continent ofJambudvipa will reap abundant harvests for twenty-five years.Contented and prosperous men in India, Nepal and Sikkim will reapabundant harvests for thirty-three years. The Land of the Snowswill be free from invading barbarian hordes for sixty years andharvests will be fruitful and men happy and prosperous for fortyyears. The thoughts of the Path Followers will be actualized. TheWheels of Dharma at the temples and monasteries of India andTibet, at Vajrasana and Samyeling, will be untouched by thevagaries of the elements and the barriers obstructing thetransmission of explanation and instruction will be removed andthe Dharma will spread. Great Beings, Masters of the LinealTraditions, will strengthen their lineages and spread the exampleof Buddha Service. The indications of revealed perfection of thecompletion of the practices of visualization of the Deity andrecitation of Mantra by Mantradharas, will appear withouthindrance. The subservient gods and demons of Tibet, the KingTrisondetsen, his family and heirs and the leaders of the countrywill adhere to both spiritual and temporal obligations, givingpower to many and satisfaction and virtue to all. The spirits ofmalice and vindictiveness, instruments of the ruination of Tibet,and the black beasts corrupted by egoistic intent will bevanquished, eradicated. "And all living creatures engaged in the restoration of theGreat Stupa, after three reawakenings, are reborn with the bodyof a man or god, a pure vessel for the nectar of Dharma, andfinally attain Buddhahood in the Western Buddhafield ofSukhavati, the Pure Land of Bliss. Whoever has put trust in theGreat Stupa, whoever has found joy in the nature of the GreatStupa, whoever has shown devotion to the Great Stupa and whoeverrejoices with the Bodhisattvas when the Restoration of the GreatStupa has been completed, after seven rebirths, sits at the headof the Vidhyadharas in the Infinite Palace of Lotus Light in theGlorious Copper Coloured Mountain of Ngayab in the southwest. Anyliving creature who envisions the Great Restoration with his eye,or hears its vibration with his ear, or imagines it in his mindor feels it with his body has all traces of unknowing action, thestains of sixty-thousand great aeons of ignorance, removed fromhis mind. All men engaged with the Great Being in the Restorationof the Great Stupa either with or without understanding, trust ordevotion receive a part of his supreme realization and spiritualpower, and arriving at the end of human experience, they live inthe Reality of the Vidhyadharas at the feet of Orgyen Rimpochehimself. "Finally, there are three levels of attainment in this GreatStupa: First, the rewards of offering and prayer disclosed in thethird chapter; second, the rewards of perfection in virtue whichinspire the exhaustless voice of intuition, the instructions ofthe Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the past, present and futurethrough hundreds of thousands of aeons; and third, the Qualitiesof the Body of Infinite Simplicity which utterly transcend therealm of expression." When Guru Rimpoche, the Abbot of Orgyem, the Lotus Born Guru,had spoken, the devotees, lost in wonder, received the wave ofbliss and power to sustain them during the Kaliyuga. Thenthanking the Guru for his vision, they praised him.SAMAYA GYA GYA GYA SEAL THE THREEFOLD BONDPostscript The Dakini Yeshe Tsogyal wrote down these words in the SacredScript of the Dakinis as Guru Rimpoche, the Lotus Born Guru, wasspeaking. As the initiation into the Most Secret Heart of theLama [Lama yang sang thugs] was given, this Terma was hidden inthe monastery of dpal bsam yas mi hgyur lhun gyis grub pa in theGreat Temple's upper chamber behind the image of Mahavairocana.Prayer was offered that it might be discovered by a worthyrecipient at the auspicious time.Here ends the Legend of the Great Stupa Jarungkhasor whichreleases the disciple from the bonds od Samsara.First Discoverer's PostscriptI, the Terton Lha btsun sngon mo, known as lha 'dbang rgya mksorblo gros, withdrew, with due reverence, this Terma from its placeof concealment behind the image of Mahavairocana. The Legend ofthe Great Stupa Jarungkhasor, related by the Precious Guru ofOrgyen, was in the form of mystic formula. I received revelationsat the time of discovery which directed me to rewrite it in theancient script on yellow parchment and to reconceal it on theSouthwest side of the Lion Throne of the Red Stupa. May it bediscovered by a worthy recipient with ability at the auspicioustime!SAMYA GYA GYA GYA SEAL THE THREEFOLD BONDSecond Discoverer's PostscriptI, Ngakchang Sakya Zangpo, blessed with the compassion of thePrecious Guru of Orgyen, received in a dream revelationsdisclosing the location of this Terma. I discovered it on theeighteenth day of the month of the sheep in the water, male-monkey year. May it benefit all lineages of sentient beings!Translator's PostscriptTranslated into English by the layman Kunzang Tenzin, based on atranslation by Nima Norbu, with the permission of His HolinessDunjom Rimpoche after correction of the Tibetan text by JatturRimpoche and finished at Agia Pelagia on the Island of Kethyra inGreece on the twenty-sixth day of the fifth moon of the iron dogyear or the twenty-second of June, 1971. May it serve toilluminate this dark time!In the Tibetan language the Legend of the Great Stupa is calledthe muchod. chhen. po. bya. rung. kha. sor. gyi. lo. rgyus. thos.pas. grol. ba. bshugs. so.[End of transcription]Transcriber's Note:The above is a digital transcription of The Legend of the GreatStupa as published in the book The Legend of the Great Stupa andThe Life Story of the Lotus Born Guru (Berkeley: The TibetanNyingma Meditation Center & Dharma Publishing, 1973), pp.21-65.Dharma Publishing, who gave their kind permission for thistranscription, would like it known that the book can be orderedfrom them by calling 1-800-873-4276. Further, they point out thatthis text in English translation is copyrighted material. It hasbeen made available by Dharma Publishing for electronic accesssolely for sincere Dharma practitioners for their own personaluse. This text may not be used for any commercial purposes, normay further copies be made or distributed for any purposewhatsoever without express written permission of DharmaPublishing. This transcription was made subsequent to the followingevents: In 1994 this transcriber was blessed by being able tovisit the Great Stupa. One beautiful evening, just after sunset,he took a photograph of the Stupa, with no particular expectationof any remarkable results. However, the result is indeedremarkable, a photograph which has drawn comments from almosteveryone who sees it, whether they know what it is or not. Amongthe comments was one made by H.H. Tai Situpa, who suggested thatthe photograph should be made into a poster. In the spirit ofthat suggestion, and pending such publication, the image has beenwidely distributed, free of cost, to anyone who requests it, indigital format; it is to accompany that digital image that thisdigital transcription has been made. May both be of benefit toall sentient beings.Oliver Seeler, transcriber